UNSF Unit
by TraceMK
Summary: Maverick is in action on a very different battlefield. See what happens when he meets up with an Aussie Angel and her friends.........
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer - I do not own the character of Maverick, though I have changed the first name as I never saw him as a "Pete". The characters of Lee Sanders and Ashley (Kaz) Kazanski are the creation of a good friend of mine and fellow FanFic writer Alaarak and are the direct result of many late night conversations and two overactive imaginations. I do own Madison (Angel) Harris and all other characters in this story. My apologies to any die hard Top Gun fans as this really has very little to do with the original movie. I hope you enjoy my first publication anyway. Cheers and happy reading.**_

Chapter 1

Maddie closed her eyes, tightly gripping her M7 rifle to her chest as she crouched behind the rock formation, hoping fervently that it would give her enough protection from the terrorist sharp shooters that seemed hell bent on sending her to meet her maker.

She slowed her breathing, trying to steady herself, the adrenaline surging through her body as her quick mind looked for an avenue of escape. She had been separated from the rest of her Re-Con team, hell, she didn't even know if any of them were even still alive after the ambush they had stumbled blindly in to.

She took a mental stock take of her supplies. Two clips left on her belt, one in the magazine of her gun, against god knows how many enemy soldiers. She still had one stun grenade and a marine issue maghook. The odds weren't looking too great.

While she had always been aware that becoming a member of this team meant she risked death every time they were deployed, actually facing the reality was an entirely different situation. She was scared, something she hadn't allowed herself to admit for a very long time. Being a woman in a Special Forces Unit, she had always had to prove that she was just as tough as the guys, couldn't afford to show any fear or emotion, or it would bring her undone.

Her mind wandered to a safer and happier time. She visualized the unit's house back in Miramar, saw herself swimming in the pristine water of the private beach below, or mucking around with the other team members in the pool. She almost laughed out loud as she remembered Kaz drowning each and every one of them in turn before escaping triumphantly without any of them being able to lay a finger on her. Inevitably her thoughts wandered to Maverick. How many times had she longed to just drown in those bluer than blue eyes but had held back because he was the team leader and fraternization between team members was strongly discouraged. She was well aware of the unspoken attraction between them, the intense glances, and the subtle touches. Now it seemed unlikely that she would ever know what it was like to kiss him, to be held in his strong arms. An overwhelming sense of lost opportunities engulfed her. She shook her head, this kind of thinking was not going to get her out of here alive, and she was damned if she would just sit here and wait for them to come for her.

Carefully, she took stock of her situation through a crack near the top of the rock formation. She could make out at least six enemy operatives, each one having taken refuge behind rock formations similar to the one that now protected her. Unfortunately, her formation was the furthest away from the tunnel leading to the cave exit, and she would have to make it past at least four of the hostiles to escape.

The stun grenade would give her some coverage, but she would still be exposed to enemy fire for a distance of at least fifty yards. There was nothing for it, it was her only option.

She checked the clip on her M7 and pulled the pin from the stun grenade, throwing it as hard as she could into the middle of the large cavern. Then she ran, firing wildly in the direction of the hostiles as she went. The grenade had kicked up a lot of dust and this gave her some coverage. She didn't even feel the first bullet as it hit her in the left shoulder, she just kept running hard for the tunnel.

She felt a stinging sensation in her thigh and looked down at it briefly, surprised to see blood flowing freely. She felt her leg starting to buckle underneath her as another bullet hit her upper right arm. Funny, she thought to herself as she sank to the ground, I always thought getting shot would hurt more than this. She tried to drag herself towards the tunnel as bullets tore into the ground beside her, while others ricocheted off the cavern walls. She was so close, just a few more inches. The tunnel entrance began to swim before her eyes as she felt herself losing her grip on consciousness.

Suddenly, she was aware of movement from the direction of the tunnel and pandemonium let loose all around her.

Kaz knelt down beside her and felt for a pulse in her neck. Maddie slowly lifted her head and gazed in relief at the grinning face of her best friend.

"You hang in there Angel, it's not your day to meet God today." Kaz said to her before lining up a shot and taking out one of the hostiles. She grabbed Maddie under her arms and dragged her into the tunnel and out of the firing line.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." She squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly before running headlong into the cavern to join the rest of the team.

It was all over in a matter of minutes, all the hostiles had been neutralized and the mission objective had been achieved. Three of the team members pressed on deeper into the cavern to be sure that all of the enemy had been eliminated, while Kaz and Maverick hurried back to the tunnel to check on Angel's condition.

"I'm warning you Mav, she didn't look good." Kaz warned her Team Leader, watching his reaction carefully. She was fully aware of Maverick's feelings for Maddie. She had been watching them play an interesting game of cat and mouse ever since the unit had been formed. They found Maddie in the same position that Kaz had left her, and for a brief horrible moment, wondered if they were too late. Maddie groaned softly and Kaz allowed herself to breathe again. She had lost friends before, but this would be different. She had never allowed herself to get as close to anyone as she had to Angel. Maybe that was because Angel was the only one who really understood what it was like to be a woman and live this life.

Gently, she undid Maddie's bullet proof vest and cut her shirt away so she could get a better look at the extent of her injuries. The shot in her arm was a through and through and the bleeding wasn't too extensive. Her shoulder and leg were another matter entirely.

Kaz suspected that the bullet may have nicked an artery in her thigh, judging by the color and consistency of the blood coming out of it. She needed to get some pressure on it and fast or her friend was going to bleed out. Angel's breathing was labored and Maverick threw a worried glance at Kaz before calling for emergency medical assistance over the two-way radio. They didn't dare risk moving her as Maverick suspected that one of her lungs may have been punctured as a result of the shoulder injury.

Kaz grabbed Maddie's shirt and pressed down hard on the entry wound on her thigh, slowing the bleeding until the medics got to her. There wasn't a lot more they could do for her. Maverick sat behind her and gently lifted her head onto his lap. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a moment to focus.

"Well it's about bloody time you lot showed up." She whispered hoarsely, displaying that larrikin Aussie sense of humor they had all become so fond of.

"Sorry babe." He smiled at her. "Couldn't find a parking spot for the hummer."

"If I get out of this alive, you are so taking me on a date, Mitchell." She winced from the effort of speaking.

"You just try and stop me." He told her. She smiled at him, and then her eyes lost focus and her breathing became shallow.

"Oh no you don't." Maverick almost yelled at her. "Angel, stay with me. Maddie, look at me honey. You are not going to die today, do you hear me. God dammit, where are those medics?" He looked frantically down the tunnel before turning his attention back to Maddie. His eyes met with Kaz's and he could see tears beginning to form.

"She's going to be ok Kaz." He told her with a confidence he didn't feel. "The medics will be here any second and they'll take care of her."

Kaz lowered her eyes, unable to meet his gaze any longer. Maverick bent low and whispered into Maddie's ear.

"Don't you dare go and die on me Angel, do you hear me." He begged her. "Don't you leave me without giving me the chance to tell you how much I love you."

Her eyes focused again for a moment and she smiled gently at him.

"I know you do Mav." As she slipped into blissful unconsciousness, she remembered the first time she had ever looked into those mesmerizing blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_Authors Note : No offense is intended to any race or religion over the following chapters that deal with today's very serious threat of terrorism._

Chapter 2

Five Years Earlier…

US Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon.

Lieutenant Madison Harris hurried along the Embassy corridors, searching for the main meeting room. She had only been on the Embassy staff for a week and was still becoming accustomed to the rabbit warren of corridors and rooms that made up the main Embassy building. She skidded to a halt in front of a door that seemed familiar, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter." Came the brisk reply from behind the door. Maddie glanced briefly at the two US Marine Guards stationed just inside the doors before approaching the meeting table. The atmosphere in the room was tense and a heated conversation was taking place between the US Ambassador to Lebanon and another man who Maddie assumed to be a US General, a high ranking one at that judging by the number of stars on his shoulder.

She waited for the yelling to subside before clearing her throat and announcing her presence.

"Excuse me Ambassador, you sent for me Sir?" She spoke clearly and calmly, all the while wondering what had caused all the tension.

"Ah yes, thank you for your prompt response Lieutenant." The Ambassador gave her a brief smile. "General Browning, this is Lieutenant Madison Harris, our legal consult and translator. She's on loan from the Australians." He explained as the General frowned at Maddie's uniform.

"An Australian hey?" The General looked at her curiously. "Which branch of service?"

"Army Sir." Maddie answered him, trying hard to quell the nervous sensation that had begun to form in the pit of her stomach.

"Enough with the interrogation, Rod, show her the transmission." The Ambassador interrupted. The General handed Maddie a printout written in Arabic.

"As best as we can understand it Lieutenant, this seems to be an intercept of an Al Queada transmission to an aggressive cell of Hezbollah activists based here in Lebanon." The General explained. "Our translators and code guys haven't been able to ascertain if there is a terrorist strike planned or what the target will be."

He turned to the Ambassador.

"William, I still think you should temporarily close the Embassy and move your family and staff to the Dubai Embassy until we can be sure that you're not the intended target." He spoke forcefully, trying to push his point across.

"Rod, if I packed up and ran every time you intercepted one of these transmissions, we may as well operate the Embassy from caravans." The Ambassador tried to placate the General. "How about you leave the transmission with the Lieutenant here to see if she can find anything in it that your guys may have missed."

"You always were a stubborn son of a bitch, Will." General Browning gave him a half smile. "Ok, you can stay here for the time being, but I want to be contacted immediately if the Lieutenant finds anything at all, no matter how small. Oh and I insist on leaving a team of Marines here, just in case."

"Really Rod, there's no need to leave your watchdogs behind." The Ambassador was beginning to get impatient and it showed in his tone. "Surely they could be better employed elsewhere in the city."

"William, the Marines are not negotiable." The General told him, employing a tone that allowed no room for argument. He turned to Maddie and addressed her directly.

"Lieutenant Harris, if you even suspect that this Embassy could be a target, I expect you to inform the Marines immediately so that they can begin an evacuation." He told her. "You have twenty four hours to examine the transmission. If I'm still not satisfied that the Embassy can be ruled out as a target, then I will give the order to evacuate anyway. Are we clear on that, William?" He glared at the Ambassador.

"Yes Sir, I'll do my best Sir." Maddie answered him, tightly gripping the transcript. She was itching to get started on examining it. The General picked up his hat and rose from the table to leave. Maddie pulled herself to attention and snapped him a smart salute as he walked from the room. He paused at the doorway.

"Twenty four hours Will, not a moment more." He warned him before disappearing down the corridor.

Maddie stood there for a moment, unsure what she should do next. The Ambassador glanced at her, giving her the briefest of smiles.

"What are you waiting for Lieutenant, get to it." He instructed her. "I'd love to prove the pompous old ass wrong on this one."

"Yes Sir, I'll get right on it." Maddie answered as he waved his hand at her dismissively.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Present Day

Afghanistan Desert

"Sir, please Sir, you have to let her go now." The medic pleaded with Maverick to get out of the way. "We need to see what we can do to help her." He glanced helplessly at Kaz, as Maverick appeared not to hear him, continuing to cradle Maddie's head on his lap, gently stroking her face with his fingers.

Kaz rose slowly to her feet and moved to her commanding officer's side. She crouched down next to him and gently touched his arm.

"Come on Mav, you have to let them look after her now." She coaxed him quietly.

"Back off Lieutenant." He exploded at her, shaking her hand away from his arm roughly. Taken by surprise, Kaz stumbled backwards and landed awkwardly on her back. The stress of the mission and the concern for her friend all came crashing down on her and Kaz saw red. She got quickly to her feet and was just about to crash tackle her Co when she felt two strong arms encircle her from behind, temporarily restricting her movement.

"Don't do it Ashley, it's not worth it. You know he's not acting rationally at the moment." A gentle voice whispered in her ear.

She turned to find herself looking into Lee's clear green eyes. He held her tight until she stopped struggling against him. He felt the rage leaving her body as she sagged against him for support. Gently, he lowered her until she was sitting on the ground.

"Now you just stay there and behave yourself Kaz." He grinned at her before walking over to where his friend was still stubbornly refusing to let Angel go. He sat down on the ground next to Maverick.

"Mav, if you don't let these guys take care of her, she is going to die." He stated matter-of-factly. This statement seemed to shake Maverick out of his trance a little and he looked at Lee, a helpless expression on his face.

"Lee, you don't understand. If I let her go, I'll lose her." Maverick knew what he was saying didn't make a whole lot of sense, but he couldn't shake the irrational feeling. "You'd be surprised how well I do understand." Lee told him, stealing a furtive glance at Kaz still sitting on the ground a few metres away, her body shaking as she sobbed quietly. He knew that if he ever found himself in the same situation, he would probably react in exactly the way that Maverick was now. These girls were something special, a cut above any that either of them had met before. They were smart, beautiful and self confident, not to mention tough and this was an intoxicating combination. He completely understood the way his Co was feeling.

Gently, he put his hands under Maddie's head and moved it away from Maverick's lap. He motioned to the medics to take over as he pulled Mav to his feet and led him over to where Kaz was sitting. Maverick felt his strength and clarity of thought begin to return. He laid a gentle hand on Kaz's shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that Kaz, I just lost it for a minute there." He said gently.

"I love her too Mav." Kaz looked at him through teary eyes. "We all do, and we can all tell her that when we get out of here." Lee sat down next to Kaz and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. They all watched the medics working feverishly on their friend and waited for Rainmaker and Watcher, the other two members of their recon team, to finish their sweep and join them.

The medics gently lifted Maddie on to a makeshift gurney and headed quickly towards the cave entrance, the rest of the team following closely behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Five years earlier…

Five years earlier…

US Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon

Maddie stared at the translation in frustration. It just didn't make any sense. She had converted the transcript to English four hours earlier. That had been the easy part. Working out what message was held within the transcript was proving more difficult than she had anticipated. Roughly translated, the message read as follows:

Let us embrace my brothers.

Let us be ambassadors for peace.

Our families also.

On this holiest of holy days, as the sun sets, let us give thanks to

Allah for his blessings as we show the world the true road to

Enlightenment.

She rubbed her eyes. At a glance, the message seemed harmless, almost inspirational as it seemed to encourage peace. There had to be something hidden in there somewhere. She stretched and covered a yawn, suddenly feeling a desperate need for a strong cup of coffee. She wandered over to switch on the kettle. Her room in the Embassy was fitted with it's own kitchenette and bathroom, as well as a small area that could be used as a living space and a separate bedroom. After years of sharing a room at university and then during officer training, it seemed like paradise to finally have some privacy.

The words of the translation spun around inside Maddie's head as she sipped on her coffee. She flicked through a fashion magazine absently, trying to clear her mind and regain some focus. As she scanned an article about a supposed romance between a couple of famous Hollywood actors, her thoughts wandered to something one of her university lecturers had said about understanding intent held within messages.

"Always keep an open mind, consider that what the passage says probably isn't what it means." She recalled the professor telling them cryptically. "Look at the words used at an individual level, not in their context in the passage. See if you can find a message within a message."

Maddie closed her eyes and allowed the words to float around in her mind freely, away from the main passage. Suddenly, things became a whole lot clearer, how had she missed it to begin with? Of course it was a call to arms, the reference to Allah giving his blessing was code for good to go. The word us was another way of terming US and the words Ambassador, as well as family were both used clearly within the text. The holiest of holy days in the Muslim calendar was Ramadan, which had begun that morning. The true road to enlightenment in the Muslim religion was only achieved through death. The reference to showing the world could only mean one thing. Whatever the Hezbollah operatives planned to do, they wanted to make sure that the whole world was watching.

Maddie glanced out the window at the last rays of the sun and realized that she was just about out of time. She had to find the Marine Guard Commander and fast. If she was right about this, the Ambassador and his family were about to be attacked, possibly killed. Maddie grabbed her sidearm from her bedside drawer, checked that it was loaded and threw the door of her room open, running flat out down the corridor.

As she rounded the corner to the entrance of the Ambassador's private rooms, the first volley of gunfire resonated throughout the building. In horror, she watched as two of the Marine Guards ran back towards her, only to be cut down viciously by automatic weapons fire. There was nothing she could do for them so she turned and burst through the doors into the private apartment to find the Ambassador and his wife gathering their three children and getting ready to run. Suddenly, the lights went out in the building and the children started to cry.

Maddie's firearm was equipped with a small flashlight on the top so she quickly flicked it on and hurried to the Ambassador's side.

"Sir, we have to get out of here." She whispered urgently to the Ambassador. "They ambushed the Marine Guard, I think they're all dead. We can't go back out that way, is there any other exit?" The Ambassador's face had turned ghostly white. His wife was trying desperately to calm the children.

"Yes, yes, there's a back entrance that leads directly to the kitchen. The staff use it when we are entertaining." He told her.

"Let's go then, we haven't got much time." Maddie urged.

They gathered the children, the Ambassador leading the way with Maddie bringing up the rear. They had just closed the servant's entrance door when they heard the main doors being blown apart. The passageway was pitch black except for the small pinpoint of light that Maddie's flashlight provided. The little group moved quickly towards the kitchen. Once clear of the passage Maddie motioned for them to hide on the floor behind the kitchen benches while she tried to figure out what move to make next.

She reasoned that if the terrorists had cut the power, then they must have some type of night vision equipment. She turned to the Ambassador.

"Sir, is there anywhere in the facility that would have a high heat output?" She asked him. The Ambassador thought for a moment, his brow furrowed.

"The boiler room." He exclaimed. "You can get to it from the kitchen. The doorway to the stairwell is over on that wall. Why do you ask?" He pointed to the far side of the kitchen.

"Well, if they've killed the lights then it stands to reason that they probably have night vision goggles." Maddie explained. "They work by seeking out signatures given off by body heat. If we can get you and your family down next to a source of heat higher than what's given off by your bodies, then effectively you should become invisible."

"Lieutenant, if we make it out of here in one piece, remind me to recommend you for a commendation." The Ambassador smiled at Maddie as they crept towards the stairwell.

Once she had the Ambassador and his family hidden close to the boilers, Maddie crept back up the stairwell and into the kitchen. Somehow, she had to raise the alarm because she couldn't be sure that anybody even knew they were under attack. By cutting the power to the embassy, the hostiles would have also taken out the phone lines, so that wasn't really an option. Maddie swore as she remembered her cell phone, still on the charger on the kitchen bench. She wished she had grabbed it as well on her way out, but that couldn't be helped now. The only way back to her room was through the main corridor and she was sure that it would be crawling with terrorists. Cautiously she peeked out of the window in the kitchen doors. She saw one of the dead Marines propped up against a wall just to the left of the doors. Hanging from his belt was a communications radio. Maddie opened the door of the kitchen slowly and crawled towards the marine on her stomach. She unhooked the radio from his belt and crawled back into the kitchen. Quickly, she flicked through the channels, trying to find some traffic. The radio sparked to life and she hastily turned the volume down, fervently hoping that none of the hostiles where within earshot. She scampered into one of the cupboards for cover and whispered as loudly as she dared into the two way.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday." She called urgently. She repeated the call a number of times before receiving a response. The voice on the other end sounded annoyed.

"Honey, this is a military wavelength. If you want to play soldiers, I suggest you try another band before you get yourself into trouble." The voice spoke harshly.

"This is not a game." Maddie spoke quickly. "This is Lieutenant Madison Harris. I'm on staff at the US Embassy in Beirut and we are currently under attack." She paused, waiting for the information to sink in to the person on the other radio before continuing.

"Our Marine Guard have all been killed. The Ambassador and his family are safe at the moment, but I'm on my own and there's at least thirty of them, and I'm not real wild about those odds." There was a moment's silence and then a familiar voice came over the airwaves.

"Lieutenant Harris, this is General Browning." She recognized his gruff tones instantly. "What's happening over there?"

"The hostiles got the jump on the Marine Guard Sir." Maddie explained. "I'm afraid they're all dead. As far as a military presence is concerned, well it looks like I'm it Sir." She told him.

"And the Ambassador and his family?" The general demanded.

"Safe at present sir, but I'm not sure for how long." She told him. "The hostiles have cut the power, so I've moved them somewhere that they should be safe from infra red detection for now."

"Good work Lieutenant, that's smart thinking. Now you get back and join them and I'll have a team in to help you in a matter of minutes." He ordered her.

"Yes Sir, thank you Sir." Maddie felt a surge of relief course through her as she allowed herself to believe that she might just survive this. Officer training didn't come close to preparing her for this situation.


	5. Chapter 5

Present Day…

Present Day…

US Marine Base Field Hospital

Kabul, Afghanistan

Coming down from the adrenaline high of a dangerous mission was always difficult. This time it was made even more so by the fact that they could lose one of their own. It wouldn't be the first time; every member on the team had experienced the pain of losing someone close to them. This time though was proving to be tougher than usual. This team was unique, special, each member having been hand picked by the United Nations to form a formidable rapid response unit, the likes of which had never been seen before.

Each one of them had their own area of expertise and they were all from various branches of the armed forces spanning a number of different countries.

Their Team Leader, Captain Adam Mitchell, call sign Maverick was a US Navy fighter pilot without equal. He was a born leader; blessed with a natural instinct that provided him with an uncanny ability to predict enemy movements. His calm, easygoing nature and sense of fair play, as well as a genuine concern for the well being of all of his team members, inspired unwavering loyalty from anybody under his command. His team knew that Maverick would never ask them to perform a task that he wouldn't be willing to do himself, and they would follow him straight into hell without hesitation if he asked them.

Captain Lee Sanders had been Maverick's navigator. Lee didn't have a call sign; nobody had come up with one that he actually liked yet, though many had tried. Lee was also US Navy, having transferred from the Australian Navy after graduating Officer Training. The US Navy offered more exciting opportunities and had appealed to Lee's adventurous spirit. He teamed up with Maverick not long after completing basic flight training and he had never looked back. Lee's navigational skills were outstanding. He had a quick, mathematical mind that could solve problems at a phenomenal rate and had saved the team from becoming hopelessly lost on more than one mission.

Lieutenant Ashley Kazanski, call sign Kaz, was the unit's sniper. She began her military career with the marines, proving her natural ability with firearms at an early stage. She progressed quickly into a Ranger unit, and from there became one of the few marines to be given the honor of being invited to join the Delta Unit. The Devils, as they were known, were one of the most respected and highly trained Special Forces units in the world. Kaz was well known for having a fiery temper that some of her braver team mates enjoyed invoking, as well as for enjoying letting her hair down and pulling pranks at the end of the day. This was her way of letting go of the tension and guilt that inevitably accompanied her occupation as a professional assassin.

Lance Corporal Bradley Dean, call sign Rainmaker, came to the unit from the English SAS. At 23 years of age, Rainmaker was the baby of the group and they all enjoyed reminding him of that fact. At six foot seven inches, he towered over his team members, but was surprisingly agile for someone of such an immense build. He was a whiz with computers and anything involving electronics. He held the record in the English SAS for the fastest breaking of secure passwords, and had come very close to being court-martialed for hacking into the Pentagon's computer mainframe. This little stunt was what brought him to the attention of the committee that put the unit together.

Sergeant Carl Dunning, call sign Watcher, also came to the unit from the US Marine Corp. At 38, Watcher was the unit's veteran, a career soldier who was as tough as they come. Watcher was a man of few words; he believed that his actions spoke loudly enough. Nothing ever got past his observant eye, hence the call sign, and he was a good man to have on your side when all hell broke loose. He was tough, uncompromising and fiercely loyal, the ultimate warrior.

The final member of the unit, and the reason that the whole team stood around waiting anxiously in the hospital corridor, was Captain Madison Harris, call sign Angel, from the Australian SAS. Angel was an expert linguist, able to comprehend and converse fluently in approximately twenty different languages at last count. Her other specialties were explosives and hand-to-hand combat. Many an enemy soldier had come to grief through underestimating Angel's abilities. At five foot six, she was the smallest member of the unit, but this by no means had ever proved to be a disadvantage. If anything, the moment of hesitation that enemy soldiers experienced because of her appearance gave her the upper hand in many combat situations, but not this time.

Maddie regained consciousness briefly as the medics were transferring her from the field ambulance to the operating theatre. Frantically she looked around her for a familiar face as the sterile smells of the hospital assailed her senses. She remembered that Maverick and Kaz had been ok, but what about the others. She grabbed the arm of one of the medics helping to push the gurney.

"Are they alright?" She whispered hoarsely as he looked down at her in surprise. "Did my team make it through ok?" Her eyes implored him for an answer.

"They're fine Captain." He smiled at her reassuringly, "And you're just fine too."

"Liar." She softly accused him.

"I'm just going to give you something to help you sleep now Ma'am." He told her, readying a syringe to connect to her IV drip.

"No wait," Maddie gripped his arm again. "Can you give Captain Mitchell a message for me, just in case. Tell him I said that the feeling's mutual."

"You can tell him yourself Ma'am." The medics face became blurry as the anesthetic began to take affect and everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Five Years Earlier…

Five Years Earlier…

US Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon

Maddie switched off the radio and placed it on a shelf in the cupboard next to the one she was hiding in. Cautiously, she opened the door and peered into the kitchen. She heard the click of a rifle safety being released and found herself looking straight down the barrel of an AK47 Assault Rifle. Deftly, she slid her pistol into the next cupboard, out of sight and crawled out of her hiding space with her hands up.

"Please don't shoot." She implored the terrorist training the rifle on her. "I'm unarmed."

She allowed herself to be frisked by the other hostile while they spoke to each other in Arabic.

"I say we shoot the bitch now." The one holding the gun snapped harshly. Maddie began to shake involuntarily.

"She might know something." The other one replied after satisfying himself that she wasn't carrying any weapons. "I say we take her to Masram and let him decide if he wants her killed."

"You never let me have any fun Abdul." The gunman glared at his associate.

"Maybe Masram will let us play with her after he's finished with her, wouldn't that be better than just shooting her outright?" He grabbed Maddie's chin in his hand, forcing her to look at them. "She is a pretty little thing for an infidel, maybe we could teach her the right way to please a real man." He leered at her as she averted her eyes. The gunman laughed and leaned in close, nuzzling Maddie's neck.

"She sure does smell good." He agreed, laughing as he ran his tongue across her cheek. Maddie knew in that instant what was meant by a fate worse than death.

Abdul twisted her arm roughly behind her back and pushed her towards the door.

They marched her to the meeting room that she had been in earlier that day, past the dead Marines who still lay where they had fallen. Inside the room, one of the terrorists was yelling and waving his arms around wildly.

"They have to be here somewhere, there is no way they could have escaped without us knowing." He yelled at his men. Maddie assumed that this was Masram, the leader of this group of insurgents. He turned to see who had entered and stopped yelling.

"Well, well, what have we got here?" He looked Maddie up and down, indicating to Abdul to let her arm go. He addressed her in perfect, clipped English.

"I hope you realize that you are in a whole parcel of trouble, young lady." He smiled at her menacingly. "Would you care to fill me in as to who you are exactly?"

"Lieutenant Harris, Australian Army. I'm on staff here as a legal consult and translator." Maddie hoped that her voice wasn't wavering too badly.

"Well, Lieutenant Harris of the Australian Army, would you care to elaborate on the whereabouts of the ambassador and his family?" He took a step closer to her.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where the ambassador is, I was in the kitchen getting milk for my coffee when I heard the gunshots and I hid in the cupboard, which is where your two goons here found me." She glared at him defiantly.

Maddie cried out in surprise and pain as Masram suddenly backhanded her hard across the cheek.

"Insolent bitch, lower your eyes when you speak to me." He yelled at her. He then turned to Abdul and the gunman and asked them to confirm her story and whether any weapons had been found on her. Before they had a chance to respond, Maddie replied to his question in flawless Arabic.

"I assure you that I am unarmed. I am only on clerical staff here, weapons are not seen as necessary for us to carry." She carefully lowered her eyes so she wouldn't anger him further.

"I can see that you are a woman of many talents, Lieutenant Harris." He took Maddie by surprise with his change of tone. "Surely a woman of your intelligence can see that your best option here would be to tell me what I want to know. If you do this, I will see to it that you come to no harm." He smiled charmingly at her.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know where the Ambassador is." Maddie hoped she sounded convincing.

"I don't believe you Lieutenant." His smile quickly disappeared. "Perhaps you are not quite understanding me. On your knees." Roughly he pushed Maddie to the ground and to her horror, pulled out a pistol and held it hard against her forehead. "Let's try this again shall we, either you tell me where the Ambassador is or I will shoot you."

Maddie began to shake and tears spilled from her eyes. She had never been so scared, but if she told them where the Ambassador and his family were, she felt sure they would kill her anyway.

"I'm sorry, I really don't know anything." Her voice was shaking now.

"Silly girl, we will find them anyway. You have thrown your life away over nothing." Maddie heard the safety release click and knew that she was about to die. She was strangely calm as she waited for the end to come. She heard the gunshot but felt nothing. In surprise, she opened her eyes to see Masram lying dead on the floor next to her, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.

All hell broke loose as a team of commandos stormed the room. Maddie felt herself grabbed around the waist and pulled under the conference table. As she turned to thank her savior, she found herself looking into the clearest blue eyes she had ever seen. The soldier grinned at her.

"Are you ok Ma'am?" He asked her, genuine concern showing on his face. Maddie started to cry and he pulled her into his arms, cradling her head on his chest.

"It's alright, you're safe now." He comforted her as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"I thought I was going to die." She looked at him through tear filled eyes.

"Are you kidding Ma'am?" He grinned at her. "Delta forces would never let that happen to a lady as gorgeous as you. Now, do you think you can get up?" He offered her his hand.

"Thanks." Maddie smiled at him, letting him help her up.

"Can you show me where the Ambassador and his family are?" He asked her.

"They're in the boiler room, off the kitchen." Maddie told him.

"Do you think you could show me how to get there?" He smiled at her gently.

"Yeah, sure, just make sure you keep that thing loaded and ready in case we run into any more of these bastards." She replied forcefully.

The soldier laughed, covering her as they walked out of the conference room towards the kitchen.


	7. Chapter 7

Present Day…

Present Day…

US Marine Base, Kabul, Afghanistan

Kaz sighed wearily as she collapsed on to her bunk. The debriefing they had just finished had been really rough. It didn't help that they had been dragged away from the hospital without being given any update on Maddie's condition, so none of them had really been focused on the debrief.

Maverick had been good and mad. The Intel they had received prior to the mission gave no indication of any insurgents being active in the area and he left the chief intelligence officer with little doubt as to his feelings about the quality of the information they had been provided with.

She closed her eyes, wishing in vain that she could just put all the memories of that awful day aside and just drift off to sleep. But as always after a mission, she wasn't able to silence the visions flashing through her mind as she mulled over how they could have handled the situation differently. Frustrated, she rolled over in her bunk and gave her pillow a series of hard punches.

"Ouch." A voice whispered in the darkness. "Glad that's not me."

She sat bolt upright to find Lee's sparkling green eyes only centimeters away from hers.

"Thought you might like some company." He grinned at her as he wriggled into the bunk beside her.

"Trust you to try and take advantage of the situation Sanders." She joked. "No, really, I'm glad you're here. I was going crazy just thinking about everything."

"It's your pillow I feel sorry for, it'll never be the same again." Lee patted the pillow softly before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. There wasn't a lot of room in the standard military issue bunk, but over the years they had both had plenty of practice at making the most of the available space.

Lee ran his fingers through her thick, long red hair and gazed tenderly into her eyes.

"It's going to be ok, Ashley." He comforted her. "I've just got a feeling that it'll all be alright."

"I hope you're right Lee." She returned his gaze before reaching up and pressing her lips to his, losing herself in his embrace.

The chief surgeon rubbed his neck and removed his mask as he pushed the doors of the operating theatre open. His eyes rested on a lone figure seated on the floor of the corridor, his head resting on his arms, his knees pulled tightly against his chest.

"Captain Mitchell?" The surgeon asked quietly as he approached.

Mavericks head snapped up, the strain of the past twelve hours clearly evident on his tired face. He got to his feet quickly, his blue eyes full of hope.

"Yes sir, that's me." He replied. "How is she?" He was almost afraid to ask.

"Well, she's a fighter." The surgeon told him. "She's made it through the surgery, though it's been touch and go a couple of times. The next twenty four hours will be critical. The shoulder shot did quite a bit of internal damage. She's lost a lot of blood, but we've got it under control and she's receiving transfusions now. We'll monitor her closely, but I'm quietly optimistic about her chances."

Maverick allowed himself to breathe out fully for the first time since he had laid eyes on Angel all those hours ago.

"Thank you doctor, can I see her?" He gave the surgeon a grateful smile.

"Go ahead, though she probably won't know you're there." He warned him.

Maverick pushed through the doors and walked quietly into the post-op room, where a nurse was busy setting up IV lines and monitors with the assistance of one of the Field Ambulance Medics that had brought Maddie in earlier. He stood to one side, letting them finish their work. The medic glanced up at him.

"You wouldn't be Captain Mitchell, by any chance, would you?" He asked.

"Yes, why?" Maverick answered.

"Before she went into surgery, she regained consciousness briefly." He explained to Maverick. "She wanted me to give you a message. She said to say that the feeling's mutual. Hope you know what that means."

"Yeah, thanks. I know exactly what that means." Maverick smiled and took a seat in the chair that the nurse set up for him next to the bed. He took Maddie's limp hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it gently.

"Come on Angel." He whispered. "You come back to me now. You can't go saying things like that without following through on it."

The nurse and medic exchanged knowing glances as they both quietly left the room.


	8. Chapter 8

Five years earlier…

Five years earlier…

Us Embassy, Beirut, Lebanon

Maddie stood at attention listening to General Browning address the gathering. She allowed herself a brief smile as she caught site of her blue eyed savior grinning at her from the front row of chairs. Did he just wink at me, she thought to herself, as she only half listened to the General drone on about the attributes it took to be a courageous officer. She had since learnt that his name was Lieutenant Adam Mitchell, US Navy Fighter Pilot, call sign Maverick. He and his partner, Lieutenant Lee Sanders, had been seconded to the Marine Corp for training in Black Hawk Helicopters. They had been assigned to the platoon that was deployed in Beirut, and had been flying reconnaissance and extraction missions.

Technically, they shouldn't have even been in the Embassy when it was stormed. They had convinced their Co that it would be invaluable experience if they were allowed to accompany the marines on missions that wouldn't require air evacuation. They reasoned that if they were ever shot down, they would need some field experience to allow them to get out of trouble. Their Co had relented, allowing them to train with the Delta Unit they were assigned to, and against his better judgment, allowed them to accompany the team on some missions.

Maddie's mind was brought sharply back to the present as the General pinned the Medal of Honor on her dress uniform jacket and saluted her, a broad smile on his creased face.

Maddie snapped him a smart salute in return and acknowledged the applause that had broken out in the room. She really didn't see what all the fuss was about; she didn't think she'd done anything particularly brave.

"So Lieutenant, I hear that you are leaving us at the end of the week." The ambassador said to her as he handed her a drink after the ceremony had finished.

"Damn shame that." General Browning bellowed in his deep voice as he joined them. "The armed forces is severely lacking in officers of your caliber, Lieutenant."

"Oh, I'm not actually leaving the service Sir, just the Diplomatic Corp." Maddie told him.

"Pleased to hear it Lieutenant, what will you be doing?" He asked, his tone curious.

"I thought I'd have a shot at the SAS, Sir. If this experience has taught me anything it's that I never want feel so completely defenseless again. " She stated forcefully.

"Lord save us, Special Forces you say." He guffawed. "You give them hell, girlie. I'll be following your career with interest."

"Well I must say that it's nice to know our guardian angel has decided to stay on duty." The Ambassador smiled at Maddie affectionately.

"Thank you Sir." She replied, and then looked behind her as she felt something small bounce off her back. Maverick and Lee were standing beside a bowl of peanuts, an innocent expression on their faces.

"If you would excuse me Sir, there's somebody I need to speak to." Maddie excused herself and left the Ambassador and General chatting amiably.

"Are you two trying to get me into trouble?" She hissed at them as she reached the table. "That guy is a five star general."

"Don't know what you're talking about Lieutenant." Maverick smiled sweetly at her.

"Now, did I hear you right, are you seriously considering joining Special Forces?"

"I've already been accepted in the next recruit intake." Maddie told him proudly.

"I feel sorry for the enemy then." Maverick joked. "How can the Aussie SAS possibly lose when they've got a bonafide angel on their side?"


	9. Chapter 9

Three years after Lebanon…

Three years after Lebanon…

Amazon River, Columbia, South America

Kaz and Angel rose silently from the cool dark waters of the Amazon River, carefully placing their scuba equipment under an overhanging rock ledge. Kaz softly clicked open the locks on the waterproof case she had been carrying and expertly began to assemble the sniper rifle that was broken into pieces within. She slid the clip home, then handed Angel the Desert Eagle that had also been protected within the case.

Stealthily, they crept up the riverbank that lay within the compound. Angel signaled to a large barn like structure. Kaz nodded and waited as Angel took the lead, following close behind her. They pressed up against the wall of the barn, barely breathing as they waited for a guard patrol to pass them.

The compound belonged to the infamous Columbian Drug Lord, Antonio Belarus. Intel provided from the DEA indicated that Antonio was actually staying at the heavily fortified compound at present.

The US Government had been trying to close the Belarus heroin smuggling operation down for five years, but hadn't been able to make anything stick. Despite intensive investigation by the DEA, they hadn't been able to obtain enough evidence to force the hand of the Columbian authorities in to allowing them to raid the compound. As was the case in a lot of South American countries, Belarus had a number of highly ranked government officials as well as law enforcement officers on his payroll.

And so the decision had been made by the US government to shut him down permanently and the clandestine mission had been unofficially sanctioned.

The guard patrol moved away, and both girls exhaled quietly. Angel unclipped two canisters from her belt and pulled out a detonation device and plastic explosives. While Kaz covered her, she quickly fastened the C4 to the outside of the barn. When she was finished, she and Kaz took cover behind a large covered lorry. They grinned at each other and Angel flicked the ignition switch on the detonation device.

The ground shook and flames shot high up into the night sky as the largest heroin lab in South America went up in smoke. The explosion actually lifted the lorry a full three inches off the ground before it landed back on its tyres with a thump. The compound sprang to life as dozens of Latino men came running from all directions.

Kaz secured her night scope and trained it on a group of men who were now milling in the center of the compound. It took a few seconds, but she secured her target in the crosshairs. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger and with one shot ended the US Governments problems with Antonio Belarus.

Before any of the henchmen could react, Kaz and Angel were scrambling back down the riverbank. They quickly strapped on their scuba gear as they heard approaching footsteps.

"Looks like you'll have to leave the rifle behind, Kaz." Angel said to her as she entered the dark waters.

"Damn it, this was one of my favorites." Kaz swore as she took one last fond look at her rifle before dumping it into the river and wading in behind Angel.

All that was left when the henchmen reached the edge of the river were a few ripples on the otherwise still surface of the Amazon.

Later that day…

Amazon Jungle, Columbia, South America

"I hate these little suckers." Kaz stated as she pulled off her boot and found three leeches attached to her ankle. She pulled out a cigarette lighter and burned them off.

"Tell me about it." Angel agreed as Kaz handed her the lighter and she removed a few leeches of her own. "What I wouldn't give for some nice warm sunshine and a sandy beach right about now."

"Sounds fantastic." Kaz answered dreamily. "I hear the beaches in Australia are gorgeous."

"Best in the world." Angel grinned at her before getting back to her feet. "I guess we'd better cover some more ground while we still have some daylight or we're not going to make the extraction point on time."

"Yeah, and on a mission like this, if we don't show the bastards will just leave us behind and deny we ever existed." Kaz growled.

Both of the girls had been warned before they signed on for the mission that if anything went wrong they would be on their own.

They had parachuted in under the cover of darkness, landing in a clearing that was some fifteen miles north of the compound. The agreed extraction point was fifty miles south of the compound, just over the Columbian border in Ecuador. Extraction time was set between 0800 hours and 1400 hours, three days after the mission was completed. This gave them a six-hour window on the day of the pick up.

Angel estimated that they had covered approximately fifteen miles so far, leaving another 35 miles to cover in just over a day and a half. Under normal conditions, this distance wouldn't have even presented a challenge, but they were traveling through thick tropical terrain, and the going was really tough.

"So tell me." Kaz asked as they trudged onwards. "What made someone like you join up with Special Forces?"

"What do you mean, someone like me?" Angel asked, her curiosity aroused.

"I read your personnel file." Kaz admitted a little sheepishly. "I mean, all those different languages, a law degree with honors, service with the diplomatic corp. Why on earth would you want to be risking your neck, trudging around jungles?"

"Why would I want to be anywhere else?" Angel raised an eyebrow at her, and both the girls giggled. "I mean, look at the gorgeous attire they provide you with, the training means you keep fit without having to join a gym and you get to meet all sorts of interesting people. Albeit you have to shoot them most of the time, which doesn't really make for good relations I suppose."

"You know, you are really nothing like what I imagined you were going to be." Kaz admitted. "When I heard I had been saddled with a babysitter from the Aussie SAS, and then read your credentials, I thought you were going to have a real attitude, but you've surprised me."

"I'll take that as a compliment coming from you Kaz." Angel told her. "I read your file too, you know."

"So much for classified information." Kaz grinned at her.


	10. Chapter 10

Present Day…

Present Day…

US Marine Base Field Hospital

Kabul, Afghanistan

A black US Government car was waved through the gates of the Marine Base and headed directly for the Field Hospital. A Secret Service security detail emerged and scouted the perimeter of the hospital before allowing their VIP passengers to disembark from the vehicle. When the all clear was given, the doors were opened and the two dignitaries entered the hospital. Their unannounced appearance created an enormous flurry amongst the hospital staff. It was not every day that a Field Hospital in Afghanistan received a visit from such highly ranked government officials.

Maverick woke with a start when he heard the approaching footsteps. He glanced at his watch, surprised that he had fallen asleep over four hours ago. His eyes lingered on Maddie. She hadn't moved at all but he could have sworn that she had a little more color back in her face.

He watched the doorway, expecting to see the other members of his team enter to check on Angel's condition. Instead, he was confronted by two Secret Service Agents, followed closely by two of the highest ranked politicians in the US Government. He jumped quickly to his feet, standing at rigid attention and snapping a smart salute.

"At ease Captain." General Rod Browning, the US Secretary of Defense, barked at him. Maverick allowed himself to relax a little.

"Son, you look like hell." The General observed. "You need to get some rest."

"With all due respect Sir, I will not leave a member of my team until I know for sure that they are out of danger." He told the general.

"And how is our little Angel doing?" William Stanford asked him gently. The US Ambassador to Lebanon was now the US Secretary of State. He moved forward and softly brushed some stray hair away from Maddie's cheek, a concerned expression on his face.

"There's little change, Sir." Maverick answered him. "She lost a lot of blood and has some pretty serious internal injuries, but the doctors seem to think that they've stopped the bleeding, so now it's just a waiting game."

"She saved my life as well as my families, you know." Secretary Stanford said in hushed tones. "She was willing to sacrifice her own life to protect ours. I just wish there was more I could do."

"I know Sir." Maverick replied gently. "I was on the recon team that stormed the embassy. That's where I first met her." The two government officials didn't miss the tone in Captain Mitchell's voice and glanced knowingly at each other.

"She'll pull through this son." General Browning laid a hand on Maverick's shoulder. "She's tough, you know that, and she's getting the best medical care available. As soon as she's stable enough, we'll arrange transport back to the government medical facility in

Washington. It'll be ok, you'll see."

Maverick gave the General a weak smile and they stood quietly for a few minutes, only the beeping of the monitors breaking the peace that had settled over the room.

"Well I say she's faking it just to get out of training exercises." Rainmaker said to his fellow teammates as they walked down the corridor towards Angel's room.

"Don't you let Mitchell hear you say that." Lee grinned at him. "He'll take your head off for making a comment like that about his precious Angel."

"Well I think you should both shut up before I knock your heads together and make you." Kaz glowered threateningly at them, and Watcher nodded in agreeance.

"Angel's in there fighting for her life and you two are busy making jokes." She whacked Rainmaker across the head before pushing open the door to the hospital room and stopping dead in her tracks, causing Lee to run right into the back of her.

"Holy shi…." Lee clamped a hand over her mouth before she could finish the expletive, his eyes widening as he recognized the dignitaries in the room. The Secret Service Agents had drawn their weapons and had them trained steadily on the little group in the doorway.

"It's alright men, you can stand down." Secretary Stanford instructed. "I take it that these are the other members of your team, Captain Mitchell?" Maverick nodded in confirmation.

"Jesus, when Angel used to tell me she had friends in high places, I thought she was kidding." Watcher breathed in amazement.

Kaz recovered from her initial shock and walked over to Maverick, totally disregarding any protocol the situation may have called for.

"So how's she doing Mav?" She asked him gently.

"She still hasn't regained consciousness, but I think she's got a bit more color back in her face, which is a good sign, isn't it?" He turned hopeful eyes towards Kaz.

"It sure is." Kaz agreed with him.

"Captain Mitchell." The General interrupted, "We'd best be going. Our security chief is already having a major hissy fit over this unscheduled visit, but please keep us informed on her progress and I'll arrange that transport as soon as she is stable enough to be moved." He snapped Maverick and the team a smart salute.

Secretary Stanford offered his hand to Maverick in a farewell gesture.

"She'll be ok son." He said reassuringly. "That little girl is a real survivor." He turned to leave, but hesitated for a moment in the doorway.

"By the way, the President asked me to tell you all personally how pleased he is with the work you have all undertaken here. He is following your progress with interest." He smiled before disappearing down the hallway.

"Did he mean President Maybury? The President of the United States?" Rainmaker asked in amazement.

"No stupid." Kaz gave him a withering look. "He meant the President of Disneyland. Of course he meant President Maybury."

"God, if I'd known Angel was that well connected, I'd have convinced her to land us a cushy assignment somewhere on a nice sunny Caribbean Island." Watcher said dryly.


	11. Chapter 11

Three years earlier

Three years earlier

Extraction Point

Amazon Jungle, Ecuador

"Come in XT1, this is CAT1. We are approaching the extraction point and looking for an all clear, over." Angel spoke quietly into her throat mike after selecting the frequency that had been set for communications with the extraction team at the mission briefing. XT1 was code for Extraction Team One and CAT1 short for Covert Assault Team One.

Kaz and Angel were only a few minutes out from the designated extraction point. They were exhausted, hungry and filthy after trudging through the thick jungle undergrowth for the past two and a half days. They had reached their destination with approximately five hours to spare, and waited patiently for a response from the extraction team.

After five minutes of silence, Angel repeated the call but still received no response.

"Bloody good for nothing pilots." Kaz swore under her breath. "They've either gotten lost, crashed or are having a nice little nap. Never depend on Flyboys, Angel."

"I don't like this Kaz." Angel threw her a worried look. "Something doesn't feel right."

She pulled a small pair of binoculars off her belt and climbed into a nearby tree to get a better view of the clearing that had been designated for the extraction. What she saw made her blood run cold.

The two helo gunners were lying face down with pools of blood staining the ground around them. They had obviously been shot execution style in the back of the head. The pilot and co-pilot had their hands bound behind their backs and were kneeling next to the cockpit of the chopper. An armed guard was training a rifle on them as the other hostiles were searching the bird, removing anything that wasn't bolted down.

"Shit." Angel swore as she climbed back down the tree to where Kaz was waiting for her.

"What's going on?" Kaz asked tensely.

"Extraction's been compromised. They look like guerilla soldiers judging by the variety of uniforms and weapons. Gunners are dead and I'd say the pilots are going to follow soon if we don't do something." Angel told her flatly.

"Damn it, what I wouldn't give to have my rifle right now. I could take care of this little problem long range and we'd be on our way home." Kaz grumbled.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to get up close and personal on this one." Angel gave her a wry smile. 'Right, The first thing we need to do is create some sort of diversion so we can take out that guard and get our hands on his weapon. We can't win this fight without at least some fire power."

Angel was thoughtful for a moment, then her lips twitched with a small smile.

She unhooked a tool from her belt as Kaz looked on with curiosity.

"Have you ever wanted to play Tarzan, Kaz?" She grinned at the confused expression on her partners face. "Maghook, thought this might come in handy one day." She explained, indicating the tool, a gas propelled magnetic grappling hook attached to a retractable rope that was standard Marine Corp issue. "If you can get to a tree close to the chopper, you could fire this off and attach it to the rotor blades. That way, you could swing right past them and off into the trees on the other side." Kaz almost laughed out loud at the suggestion. "While they're off chasing the swinging ape girl, I'll neutralize the guard, secure his weapon and free the pilots. With a bit of luck, they'll leave the bird unattended and we'll be able to get to the guns and take out the rest of them. Just make sure you keep your head down when you hear the guns fire up."

"You know, that is just crazy enough that it might even work." Kaz took the Maghook from Angel and scouted her way to a tree close to the clearing that put her in perfect position to take a shot.

"Angel, come in." She whispered into the throat mike. "I'm in position and about to take the shot, get ready to go. God I hope this works. Over."

"Roger Kaz, I'm positioned directly behind the guard. Over." Angel answered her.

"Roger that, firing now. Listen for the Tarzan call. Over." Kaz fired the Maghook, praying that it would find it's target the first time because she knew she wouldn't get another shot at this. The rope wound itself around the top rotor blades a couple of time and the magnet stuck fast.

"Here goes nothing." Kaz whispered and let out a blood curdling yell as she swung free of the trees, clear across the front of the cockpit. Her sudden appearance had the desired effect as the four guerilla soldiers inside piled quickly out of the bird and ran in the direction Kaz had disappeared in, yelling at the guard to watch the chopper while they investigated.

Angel crept silently up behind the guard, her hunting knife in hand. She clamped a hand over his mouth and quickly snapped his head sideways with her other arm, breaking his neck and killing him instantly. She quietly lowered his body to the ground and crawled over where the pilots were still kneeling.

"Anyone call for an Angel?" She whispered quietly to them as she cut their ropes with her knife. "Right, we need to get to those guns asap, my partner and I are unarmed apart from this." She indicated the AK47 that she had liberated from the now dead guard.

"Am I glad to see you, Lieutenant Harris." Angel looked up in surprise at the mention of her name and found herself staring into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

"Well you two just manage to turn up in the strangest places now, don't you?" Angel grinned at the two pilots. "Good to see you Maverick, you too Lee. Are you guy's injured?" She asked them as they clambered on board the chopper.

"Nothing serious." Maverick answered her.  
"Any time now would be good Angel. Over." Kaz's tense voice came over the earpiece.

"Alright Kaz, keep your head down. Over." Angel commandeered one of the helo guns, Lee took the other and Maverick started firing the AK47. The guerilla soldiers, realizing that they had been tricked, burst clear of the tree line and ran towards the chopper, only to be cut to shreds by the machine gun fire. It was all over in seconds.

"Kaz, do you copy? Over." Angel spoke into her throat mike.

"Jesus Christ Angel, now I know why I'm a sniper. Some of those rounds were a bit too close for comfort. Am I clear to approach? Over" Came the reply.

"All clear Kaz, let's go home. Over." Angel kept the gun trained on the guerillas on the ground, looking for any movement. She watched as Kaz appeared from the trees and gave each of the hostiles a nudge with her boot before giving the thumbs up signal.


	12. Chapter 12

Twenty Four Hours Later…

Twenty Four Hours Later…

Debriefing Room, Fort Bragg

Nth Carolina USA

Angel focused on the second hand of the clock ticking away on the wall of the debriefing room as she waited for Kaz and the mission commander to arrive. In her opinion, the debriefing shouldn't take too long as the objective of the mission had been successfully achieved. The incident at the extraction point might take a little longer though. She smiled to herself at the vision of Kaz swinging from the Maghook like a monkey on a vine. They had worked well together and Angel hoped they would have the opportunity to do so again in the future.

Meeting up with Maverick and Lee again had been an unexpected though not unpleasant development. They were both now permanently assigned to the Night Stalkers, the Army Special Operations aviation group, and until yesterday at least, had been thoroughly enjoying the challenge and the adrenaline rush.

The door to the meeting room opened and Kaz sauntered in with a big grin on her face.

"God the food's good here." She commented, flopping in a chair next to Angel. "I almost feel human again after a couple of hours sleep and a shower."

"I know what you mean." Angel agreed with her. "Next time the brass decides they want us to go blow something up, let's hope it's as far away from the jungle as we can get."

"Yeah, but we'll probably end up in Antarctica or something." Kaz joked.

They both jumped to their feet and stood to attention when the door opened and the mission commander strode into the room.

Sergeant Major Andrew "Bull" Thompson was an imposing figure of a man and commanded unwavering loyalty and obedience from all who answered to him. He threw a quick glance at Angel and Kaz before seating himself at the round conference table.

"At ease Ladies." He barked. "Pull up a seat." He invited them.

"Not it sounds like the mission at the compound went like clockwork. I've read both of your reports and they are very thorough and precise. I don't see any need to explore the mission any further, except to congratulate you both on a well executed infiltration."

"Thank you Sir." Both the girls responded, relieved that this would all be over quickly.

"Now what I would like clarified is the report put in by the Night Stalker Pilots. What's all this I hear about a Delta Force Operator swinging through the trees like Tarzan?" His gruff tone was betrayed by the amused grin that was threatening to appear on his face.

Same day, 2030hrs…

Officers Mess, Fort Bragg

North Carolina USA

"Here's to one of the shortest debriefings I have ever been privileged to be a part of." Kaz raised her glass in a toast and Angel clinked hers against it.

"Yeah, it didn't go too bad at all, did it?" Angel agreed.

The girls were off duty and decided to kick back and share a couple of quiet drinks as Angel was shipping out at 0730 the next day. Her SAS unit had been deployed to Iraq and she would be traveling straight from Fort Bragg to join them.

"Don't look now." Kaz warned. "But here come the Flyboys. They are pretty, aren't they?" She commented, watching them approach.

"I thought you didn't like Flyboys." Angel commented, amused.

"I don't, they're not good for much apart from being glorified air jockeys, and most of them aren't real good at that." Kaz grinned at her. "They are usually really good at one thing though." She paused, waiting for Angel to ask the obvious question.

"And what would that be?" Angel knew what the answer was going to be but played along anyway.

"They are great for relieving tension after a mission and are usually only too happy to oblige. I call dibs on Mr. Green Eyes." She winked at Angel.

"Knock yourself out." Angel shook her head laughing as the pilots pulled up a couple of chairs and joined them.

"So I guess we're even now." Maverick smiled at Angel across the table. Lee and Kaz were on the dance floor, slowly swaying to the music, locked in each other's arms.

"What do you mean?" Angel threw him a curious glance.

"Well, I rescued you from the Embassy and you rescued me from the jungle, so I guess that makes us even." He explained.

"I didn't even think of that, but yes, I guess it does. Why is it that every time I meet up with you there are usually bullets flying everywhere and one of us has a gun pointed at our heads?" Her eyes sparkled as she teased him.

"Guess I just attract trouble." Maverick locked his eyes with hers. "Want to join them?" He nodded towards the dance floor.

"Why not." Angel agreed. "I can't remember the last time I actually had a dance."

He offered her his hand and she took it and let him lead her to the dance floor.

By the time the set of songs had finished, Lee and Kaz had mysteriously disappeared.

Kaz grinned at Lee as she heard the soft click of the lock giving way. She grabbed his hand and pulled him inside the dark apartment, closing the door behind them. She fumbled for a light switch in the hallway. Finding one, she flicked it on and the apartment was bathed in a soft glow.

"Where exactly are we?" Lee asked, amused.

"Brigadier General Harwood's base residence." Kaz grinned cheekily. "I happen to know that he's in Washington at the moment." She reached up and laid a teasing kiss on Lee's mouth before walking into the living area, heading straight for a small bar.

"I also happen to know that he has a soft spot for very good scotch." She held up a bottle of 25-year-old Chivas Regal and two scotch glasses.

Lee applauded her softly and accepted the glass she poured for him. It was the best scotch he had tasted in a very long time, smooth as velvet. Kaz flicked on the mini stereo and selected a CD of soft, romantic mood music. She put her empty glass down on the bar and seductively danced her way over to where Lee was standing, watching her intently.

She pressed up hard against him and kissed the side of his neck while deftly undoing the buttons on his uniform.

A fleeting thought crossed Lee's mind, the tables were being turned on him. He was always the one in control in these situations, but this time he had the distinct impression that he was about to be well and truly used.

"Hang on there Kaz, slow down a .." He was interrupted when Kaz laid a finger on his lips.

"Sshh, come on now Lee." She smiled suggestively at him. "You can't tell me that you don't want this as much as I do. And call me Ashley, I'm Kaz when I'm on duty, Ashley when I come out to play." She reached up and kissed him passionately.

Any resistance Lee still had in him disappeared in an instant as he returned her kiss, all but tearing her uniform off her as they tumbled to the floor.

"Well that was quick work, even by Lee's standards." Maverick remarked as they returned to the table to find their comrades had vanished.

"Oh, I'd say Kaz had something to do with that." Angel grinned, taking a sip of her drink. "Something about flyboys being good for relieving tension."

"Sounds like Sanders may have met his perfect woman." Maverick chuckled. He reached across the table and brushed a stray strand of dark hair from her cheek. "And what about you, Angel, are you in need of a Flyboy to relieve the tension?" His eyes locked with hers as he gave her a suggestive smile.

"As tempting as that sounds Mav, I don't make a habit of sleeping with people I actually like. It tends to ruin the friendship." Softly she moved his hand away from her cheek. He turned her hand over in his and gently kissed her palm, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Are you sure that I can't convince you otherwise?" He whispered seductively.

Angel was torn. If she was honest with herself, she found this guy really attractive, a little too attractive to be good for her. In their line of work, there wasn't much point forming emotional attachments to someone who may not come back from their next mission. She had told herself that there would be plenty of time for romance when she was finished with Special Forces.

She sighed heavily and rose from her chair, getting ready to leave.

"I'm sorry Mav, but I'm shipping out early tomorrow. Let's not complicate this." She pleaded with him as he rose from his seat, standing so close to her she swore she could hear his heart beating.

"You can't blame a guy for trying." He grinned ruefully at her.

"If it were another time and place, Mav, it would definitely be different." She reached up and placed a soft lingering kiss on the side of his mouth, smiled at him and walked out of his life again. He could swear he saw a hint of regret in those blue eyes of hers.

"I'll hold you to that, Angel." He whispered before heading to the bar for a much needed double.


	13. Chapter 13

One year later…

One year later…

Townsville Army Base

SASR Lavarack Barracks, Townsville Australia

Maddie frowned as she turned the nondescript envelope over in her hands, looking for an insignia or a return address of some kind. She shrugged and tore it open. Inside were orders for her next assignment, but they hadn't come from the Army.

Her instructions were to report to Miramar Naval Air Station, San Diego, USA.

The insignia emblazoned on the top of the orders wasn't one that she recognized, but the paperwork seemed genuine.

She wandered over to the admin building in search of someone who might be able to shed some light on the mysterious summons.

"Hey Larry, what do you make of this?" She found the Chief Supply Clerk busily tapping away on his computer.

"Hey Angel, what have you got there?" He asked, taking the paper she was holding and turning it over. "Well, it's genuine, if that's what you wanted to know. Hang on a sec and I'll get on the net and see if I can track down this insignia."

It took Larry about fifteen minutes before he could track something down. His eyes widened as he turned the computer monitor around so that Angel could read the information. She was looking at the internal web page for the Pentagon. Larry just grinned at her when she gave him a questioning glance.

The insignia on her orders was for a newly formed secret Special Forces Unit that would be under the direct control of the United Nations. A team would be stationed in each of the participating countries and would be made up of the best representatives that each branch of the armed forces had to offer. Their key capability was listed as offensive and recovery operations that were beyond the capabilities of existing units. They were to be called the United Nations Special Forces Unit, or UNSF for short.

Larry let out a low whistle as he finished reading the article.

"Who's butt did you have to kiss to be selected for this one, Angel?" He asked her, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I have absolutely no idea." Angel was totally bemused. She hadn't solicited consideration for this unit, in fact, she had never even heard of it before.

"Well Larry, I guess there's only one way to find out what this is all about, and that's to report in. Could you look into organizing a transport for me. I'd better go and square this away with the chief." She threw Larry a dazzling smile as she wandered off down the hallway in search of the Unit Commander.

Larry sank back in his chair with a sigh. He sure was going to miss that smile.

At five other military institutions around the globe, the other potential team members were opening identical orders.


	14. Chapter 14

Two Weeks Later…

Two Weeks Later…

Miramar Naval Air Station

San Diego United States

Angel handed her military identification to the guard at the gatehouse and waited patiently for clearance.

"Thanks Captain Harris, you're cleared to go through, Ma'am." He handed her id card back and waved her through the opening boom gate.

She guided the little rental car into a parking space outside the administration building, grabbing her orders from her duffel bag before stowing it in the boot, and walked up the short path to the building entrance, not really sure what to expect.

"Can I help you Ma'am." A little blonde female corporal with a sweet face greeted her with a bright smile from behind the reception desk.

"I hope so." Angel returned her smile as she handed over her orders.

"Oh, Captain Harris, they're expecting you. Could you come this way please?" The young corporal looked at Maddie with open admiration.

"I think it's so wonderful that you've been selected for this." She whispered as they walked down the corridor. "I mean, Special Forces has always been such a Boy's Club."

"All I can say to you Corporal is that you should never underestimate your own abilities." They slowed down and stopped outside an unmarked security door.

"This is as far as I can go, just keep following the corridor to the briefing room right at the end, good luck Ma'am." The corporal saluted her.

Angel returned the salute.

"Just remember, you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it." With that parting advice, Maddie pushed on the door when she heard the buzz of the internal security latches opening.

On her left, Angel saw a number of different training simulation areas through the smoked reinforced glass viewing windows. To the right, there were a number of rooms with closed doors, a small kitchen and what appeared to be a lounge area complete with a small bar.

She took a deep steadying breath and knocked sharply on the door at the end of the hallway.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." A familiar voice drawled as the door opened.

"Kaz!!" Angel exclaimed in delight, giving her friend a hug. "So they've roped you into this little sideshow as well, hey?" They grinned at each other.

"Well, this is an elite unit. They only wanted the best." Kaz laughed.

"Ok, enough with the little reunion scene, very touching." Another familiar voice barked. Angel looked over Kaz's shoulder to see the commander from the mission in the Amazon, now wearing the rank of a General.

"Glad you could join us, Captain Harris." General Andrew "Bull" Thompson bellowed.

Maddie glanced at the other team members seated around the conference table. She didn't recognize two of them, but she allowed herself a small smile as her eyes rested on two very familiar faces.

"I believe you're already acquainted with our team leader, Captain Adam Mitchell, otherwise known as Maverick." The General said.

"Yes Sir, Mav and I go way back." She smiled as she took Maverick's offered hand. "I see you have your partner in crime in tow. Hi Lee."

"Looking good as always Angel." Lee commented cheekily, earning himself a dirty look from the General.

"Have a seat." Maverick motioned to an empty chair between him and Kaz. "This is Watcher and this is Rainmaker, the other members of our happy little band of marauders."

Kaz leaned over and whispered in Maddie's ear.

"I'm a happy little sniper, they've supplied me with a ready made tension reliever." Her eyes flashed with merriment as she glanced at Lee.

"Now I suppose you are all curious as to how you came to be here." The General commented. "You would recall that you have all been sent on missions that have been a little out of the ordinary over the past year."

Kaz and Angel looked at each other. "Columbia." They both said at the same time.

"Well these missions were little tests, narrowing down the suitable candidates for our team to a final six and you are it. Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations, from this point forward all of you have officially ceased to exist."

The rest of the day was filled with briefings on the team requirements and objectives. Angel was getting more and more excited about the concept as more information was supplied. They were told they would be living in a share house off base so they could form a more cohesive team relationship. The General spent half an hour on the rules and regulations of the share house before announcing that the team would have the entire weekend to settle into their new home. They broke at 6pm, with orders to report back there at 0600 hours on Monday.

Thirty Minutes Later…

Unit Share House, Oceanside

San Diego United States

Kaz let out a low whistle as Angel eased the rental car to a halt outside a large two-story bungalow.

"Well this sure beats the hell out of the barracks buildings back at the base." She commented.

"Have you been stationed here before?" Angel asked her as they got out of the car.

"Nope, only arrived this morning." Kaz told her.

"Then how do you know what the barracks are like, no, on second thought, I'm not sure I want you to answer that." She saw the mischievous twinkle in Kaz's eyes.

"Just because I've never been stationed here doesn't mean that I've never been here before." Kaz said with a grin. "And I always try to make a point of conducting my own personal barracks inspection, just to make sure that they meet my exacting standards."

"The barracks or the occupants?" Angel asked her.

"Both." Kaz answered in a matter of fact tone.

"Kaz, you are completely incorrigible." Angel laughed as she watched her busily picking the lock on the front door.

"You know, I'm sure Mav will have a key for that when he gets here." She commented.

"Who needs keys when you belong to a Special Forces Unit?" Kaz said, watching the front door glide open with a satisfied smile.

"Besides, if we're first in, we get first pick of the bedrooms. After you." Kaz motioned Angel inside.

"Very good point, wow, this is nice." Angel liked what she saw. The house was roomy and welcoming, tastefully appointed and had recently been given a fresh coat of paint.

"I see headlights coming down the drive." Kaz announced as she peeked out the window. The girls raced upstairs to stake their claim on their preferred rooms.

Dinner that night consisted of a quick phone call to the local pizza place. Being ex combat pilots, Maverick and Lee were well acquainted with the area, and even knew the delivery boy by name when the pizzas were dropped off.

"Well, I definitely think it's time for bed for me." Kaz stretched and yawned after polishing off a third slice of pizza. "It's been a hell of a week. Good night all."

Angel didn't miss the sly look that passed between Kaz and Lee as she headed upstairs. Lee announced that he was feeling pretty tired himself about fifteen minutes later and headed off in the same direction.

Kaz smiled to herself when she heard the door of the bathroom she shared with the adjoining room open. She looked up to see Lee lounging in the doorframe, watching her as she undressed.

"Like what you see Captain?" She grinned at him cheekily.

"Very much." Lee's eyes roamed over her body as she pulled a silky chemise over her head.

"Do I have to remind you about all the house rules and regulations the General went to so much trouble to point out today?" She grabbed her moisturizer and daintily placed one foot on the bed, seductively massaging the cream into the smooth skin on her long slender leg.

"There wasn't anything mentioned in the rules about looking." Lee countered, mustering every ounce of self-restraint he had as she continued to tease him mercilessly.

Kaz repeated the ritual with her other leg, happy in the knowledge that this was just about killing him. She straightened up and locked eyes with him, his green gaze hypnotic.

"It's only against the rules if you get caught." She smiled suggestively at him.

Lee let out a groan and covered the distance between them in two quick strides. He pulled her forcefully into his arms and captured her mouth in a demanding kiss before lowering her gently onto the bed, pulling out the cord of the bedside lamp with his foot.

Rainmaker and Watcher had said their goodnights, leaving Angel and Maverick alone in the living room.

"So much for the house rules." Angel commented as Maverick handed her a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, they didn't even last twelve hours without being able to keep their hands off each other." He laughed as he settled next to her on the big, comfortable sofa.

"Do you think this is going to cause a problem?" She asked him, watching his face carefully for a response.

"I think it's better that they keep their extra curricular activities in house." Maverick stated. "At least there won't be a procession of one night stands compromising the security of the place."

"True, and if I know Kaz, she won't let this have any affect on her ability to perform her duties." Angel told him.

"So tell me Angel, is this going to be another time and place for us?" Maverick asked her, his clear blue eyes watching her intently. Angel felt her face flush under his close scrutiny. This was proving to be a lot harder than she had anticipated.

"Mav, Kaz and Lee might be able to handle having a physical relationship and then putting it aside when they have to, but I'm not sure that I could do that." She told him, her eyes downcast.

"You have to know the effect you have on me, Madison." He whispered to her, reaching out to gently caress her cheek.

"I know, and if we take it any further, both of us will find it difficult to operate professionally, and that could put every person on this team in danger. I don't know Mav, maybe I should just opt out of the team now and save everyone the hassle." He could see she was genuinely troubled by the situation.

"That's not an option, the team needs you and you know it, otherwise you wouldn't be here." He said forcefully. "You don't need to worry, Angel. I'll find a way to handle whatever this thing is between us."

She leaned over and gently ran her fingers down the side of his face. He closed his eyes, enjoying the deliciousness of her gentle touch on his skin. Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand, placed her cup on the coffee table and stood up.

"Goodnight Mav." She smiled at him a little sadly.

"Goodnight Angel." He watched her retreat up the stairs and left it a few minutes before turning out the lights and heading straight for a cold shower.

The rest of the weekend was spent getting settled into the house and getting comfortable with their new teammates. At 0600 hours on Monday morning, their training began in earnest.


	15. Chapter 15

Present Day…

Present Day…

US Marine Base Field Hospital

Kabul, Afghanistan

Angel became aware of movement around her. Her eyes flickered open and she looked around in confusion at the soft glow emitted by the monitors. She gagged on the tube that was down her throat and began to panic. Her movement set off the monitors and medical staff came running from every direction.

Maverick was in the corridor talking quietly with Lee when the commotion began. He shoved his styrofoam cup of coffee into Lee's hands and raced into the room after the nurses.

One of the nurses was stroking Maddie's hair, trying to calm her as the other started to remove the breathing tube from her throat.

"Try to relax Captain Harris." The nurse soothed. "We just have to take out the tube and you'll feel a whole lot better." She glanced over at Maverick and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's good that she's fighting it Captain Mitchell, it means she's breathing on her own again." She told him.

Maverick paced the room impatiently while the medical staff ran all sorts of tests on Angel. Finally the nurses ran the last of the examinations and left the room.

"She's all yours Captain." One of them told him as she headed for the door.

He moved quietly to her bedside and took her hand in his.

"Hey there gorgeous, you gave me one hell of a fright you know.' He smiled at her, fighting back the tears of relief that were forming in his eyes. She gave him a weak smile, still unable to speak from the tube that had been helping her breathe for the last twenty-four hours. She reached a hand up and softly touched the side of his face, locking his eyes with hers and mouthed the three words he'd been longing to hear for five years.

"I love you." She said soundlessly.

"Right back at you Angel." He said to her. She smiled, closed her eyes and fell straight back to sleep; exhausted from the effort the simple gesture had taken.


	16. Chapter 16

Two Years Earlier…

Two Years Earlier…

Pacific Ocean

Two miles off the Californian Coast

The dark depths of the Pacific Ocean rushed up to meet her as she hit the water hard. Kaz swore as she felt the weight of her pack pulling her deep below the surface. She kicked hard in the direction of the bubbles weakly illuminated by the moonlight and gasped for breath as she broke free of the murky depths. She wondered, not for the first time in the last few weeks, what sadist it was that had come up with their training regime. I mean, come on, a fifteen foot free fall in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night, carrying a weapon and a loaded pack. Were they trying to kill them?

The team had been together for about a month and the training had been intense. From twenty mile hikes to live ammunition assault and rescue simulations, as well as being put through the interrogation wringer and being seriously sleep deprived, Kaz was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to go on a real mission, or if the UN was just toying with them.

She felt the impact in the water as one by one her teammates hit the surface. Shortly after, Maverick's voice crackled in her ear.

"Report in guys, over." He requested.

"Kaz clear. Over." She answered quietly.

"Rainmaker clear. Over"

"Angel clear. Over."

"Watcher clear. Over."

Then there was silence.

"Lee, report in. Over." Maverick commanded. Still nothing.

"Say again, Lee, report in. Over." The urgency in his voice was becoming obvious.

Kaz felt a chill engulf her that had nothing to do with the water temperature. She scanned the surface of the water anxiously as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She counted four heads bobbing around, treading water, but there was no sign of Lee.

"Trust our navigator to get lost." Rainmaker's voice came across the comms radios, trying to make light of the situation.

"Do we call the code yet, Mav?" Angel questioned their leader. They had been given an emergency code to call in if there was any trouble. A team of Navy Seals was on standby close to the drop zone to come to the rescue if they were needed.

"Give him a couple more seconds." Maverick answered tightly.

Suddenly, Kaz felt two arms encircle her waist and she was pulled back under the surface. Before she could register what was happening, a warm mouth covered hers below the water in a passionate kiss. As they broke the surface, she could see Lee's green eyes twinkling with mischief in the moonlight.

"I should kick your arse, Sanders." She yelled at him.

"See, now I knew you cared about me really." He watched her intently before switching on his comms mike. "Lee clear. Over." Kaz felt her cheeks burning under his scrutiny.

"Well you took your time." The relief in Maverick's voice was evident.

"What can I say, I never saw the point of jumping out of a perfectly good helicopter in the first place." He joked.

"So do you actually have any idea where we are, Mr. Navigator?" Angel asked. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't really fancy bobbing around in the ocean for the rest of the night."

"Angel, surely you don't doubt my navigational skills?" Lee asked incredulously. "Follow me guys, we'll be back home and in a hot shower before we know it."

He winked cheekily at Kaz as he let her go and started swimming towards the shore.

Two Hours Later…

A private beach in Oceanside

Californian Coastline

One by one, the members of the unit wearily dragged themselves onto the wet sand of the private beach below the team share house. Shrugging off wet backpacks and unstrapping rifles, they collapsed where they stood, not caring that the Pacific Ocean was still lapping at their tired feet.

A searchlight illuminated the sand as the soft hum of an outboard signaled the arrival of the support teams by boat.

The booming voice of General Thompson came over a loudspeaker.

"Congratulations, that little test marked the end of your preliminary training and you have all passed with flying colors. You are now officially a fully operational unit and as of this moment ladies and gentlemen, you are on call." He laughed as he heard six groans and various expletives aimed in his direction as he disembarked from the boat.

"Breakfast is ready and waiting for you up at the house. Go and have a hot shower and get something to eat. You've earned it." He smiled proudly at his charges as they struggled to their feet and trudged towards the stairs that led to the house. Any average person would have curled up in a ball and given in weeks ago, but this group of extraordinary men and women hadn't let him down. He knew that they were ready.

Maddie sat on the stool in front of her bedroom mirror, dressed in a white silk wrap, toweling her damp dark hair. She felt a million times better after her shower, and was about to head downstairs to grab some of the delicious smelling breakfast when there was a soft knock on her door and it opened. Maverick smiled at her as he entered, a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist.

"Hey Angel, just wondering if I could borrow your shower, the others are all occupied." He locked eyes with her, a small smile playing at his lips as he realized that she was openly staring at him.

"Um, yeah. Sure Mav." Angel stammered, getting to her feet, unable to tear her eyes away from his near naked, well-toned body.

"Like what you see?" He whispered, closing the distance between them in a few short steps. Maddie gulped and tried hard to control her breathing.

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't." She colored slightly, avoiding his piercing gaze.

Maverick gently raised her chin so that he was looking directly into her eyes.

"You know that you only have to say the word, Angel." He told her huskily, his mouth only millimeters from hers.

She longed to just give in to him, she wanted him so badly it hurt. But once she crossed that line, she knew there would be no going back. Once she had tasted what he had to offer, she knew she would be hopelessly addicted. She couldn't afford to lose her focus so completely, and she knew that if she started something with Maverick, that was exactly what would happen. She moaned softly as he gently caressed the side of her bare neck with his lips, sending shivers of desire right to the core of her body. She felt like she was drowning, knew that she was losing her fight to resist him. Just as his lips brushed gently across hers for the first time, a loud banging on the door jolted them both back to reality.

"Hey Angel, you decent in there?" Rainmaker yelled out as the door handle began to turn.

Maverick gave her a rueful smile as he reluctantly let her go, trailing his fingers along her arms before turning and walking into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him.

Maddie regained her composure and opened the bedroom door.

"Hey Rain, what's up?" She said.

"Just thought I'd let you know that breakfast is ready, and if you don't hurry up, there won't be anything left." He grinned cheekily at her. "Have you seen our fearless leader anywhere?"

"Yeah, he's in the shower. I'll let him know. Thanks Rain, I'll be down in a minute." Maddie closed the door behind him and leant heavily against it for a moment. She couldn't let herself get into these situations, the man was just too darned attractive to resist. She yelled out to Maverick that breakfast was ready, slid into some jeans and a singlet top and quickly headed downstairs.


	17. Chapter 17

Present day…

Present day…

US Marine Base Hospital

Kabul Afghanistan

Kaz sat cross-legged on the end of the hospital bed, methodically disassembling and cleaning her rifle. She had sent Maverick to the barracks for some much needed sleep about an hour ago, promising him that she would stay with Angel and that she would come and get him if anything happened.

"So how'd you get the husband past the nurses?" Kaz jumped at the soft voice and looked up to see Angel's blue eyes watching her with a glint of amusement. She expertly began to reassemble the sniper rifle that had been christened "the husband" by the team.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty." Kaz joked, relief flooding through her with the realization that her friend really was going to be ok.

"What did I miss?" Maddie asked, her voice still a little hoarse.

"Oh you know." Ashley grinned at her. "Just the usual. A visit from the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, late night liaisons with my green eyed admirer, oh and our fearless leader declaring his undying love for you. Just another boring day in the unit."

"You know you really should put Lee out of his misery. He is so head over heels for you and you still pretend that it's just a casual fling." Maddie admonished her friend.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Angel." Ashley said flippantly, avoiding her friend's knowing gaze.

"Yeah, sure you don't." The sarcasm was evident in Angel's voice.

"So how are you feeling?" Kaz asked, trying hard to change the subject. Maddie smiled to herself, satisfied with the reaction she had managed to invoke.

"Not too bad considering I came so close to checking out permanently." Angel smiled ruefully. "The drugs are pretty good."

"Do you reckon they'd hook me up too if I asked nicely?" Kaz joked.

Maddie laughed, wincing at the pain it caused.

"Stop it Kaz." She pleaded. "Almost died, remember?"

"Alright, I'll show you some mercy. So how long do the doctor's think you'll be out of action?" She asked her friend. She began to feel apprehension growing as she watched a troubled expression settle over Angel's pretty features.

"Kaz." Maddie began quietly. "I don't think I'll be coming back."

"Rubbish!!" Ashley exclaimed. " We'll get you back home and with some rest and treatment, you'll be good as new in no time. Don't you let these medical quacks tell you what you are or aren't capable of."

"Kaz, listen to me." Maddie continued. "I haven't even spoken to the doctors about my physical condition. That has nothing to do with it. I just don't think that I can do this any more."

"You're just traumatized." Kaz reassured her. "It's the drugs talking. You'll feel differently in a few days."

"No Ashley, I don't think I will." Maddie said sadly. "Do you know what my last thought was before I blacked out in that tunnel? That I would never know what it was like to be kissed and held by the man I love. I've lost my edge. I don't have anything more to prove and I don't want to do this anymore." She watched her friend with earnest eyes, willing her to understand.

For once, Kaz could not think of a single argument. Not trusting herself to speak, she smiled weakly, reached over and squeezed her friend's hand and nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.

"I knew you'd understand." Angel whispered quietly. "I just want a normal life where I don't have to sneak around just to be with the guy I care about. I want the whole package Kaz, you know, my man, maybe a couple of kids, a nice little legal practice where I can just go home at the end of the day…" Maddie's voice trailed off.

"You know what Angel?" Kaz spoke quietly. "It's what I want too and I don't blame you one bit for pulling the pin on this little circus. Just promise me one thing."

"What's that?" Angel asked her.

"Wherever you end up, that there will always be a bed for your slightly crazy friend to lay her head on." Kaz smiled gently at her friend.

"You've got a deal."


	18. Chapter 18

One month earlier…

One month earlier…

East Quarter of the capital

Mogadishu, Somalia, Africa

On edge, they watched quietly for Mavericks signal. One, two, three fingers up and they were on the move once more.

They all hated this kind of warfare, picking their way through the ruins of what had once been the proud capital city of Somalia, flushing out what remained of the resistant rebel troops.

They could feel the hatred in the eyes of the local people; most of the rebels they were hunting would be their loved ones.

Maverick signaled for the team to break into pairs and approach the target building from three different angles. According to the intelligence they had received, this building was serving as the command post and supply base for the rebels. Eliminating this base would effectively cut off all supplies and instructions to them.

Rainmaker and Watcher teamed up and headed for the southern approach of the building. Lee and Kaz scouted around to the north and Maverick and Angel took the western approach.

"Positions? Over." Maverick whispered into his throat mike.

"Lee and Kaz ready. Over." Lee's voice crackled in his ear.

"Watcher and Rain ready. Over." Came the next reply.

"Maverick and Angel ready. Over." He confirmed, glancing quickly at Angel who was standing by calmly, weapon drawn, waiting for his signal.

"Go, go, go!!" Came the urgent command in all their earpieces and they stormed the building as one.

Lee took the lead on the northern side of the building as Kaz covered him from close behind. They met with little resistance as they went from room to room, checking for rebels.

"Northern section clear. Over." He reported in before heading for the closest flight of stairs. "You want to go first?" He grinned at Kaz.

"You just want to get the best view of my backside." Kaz jokingly accused him as she cautiously began the ascent.

"You've got that right, honey." Lee didn't even bother trying to deny it. "And let me tell you, it's a great view too."

"Sanders, if we weren't on duty right now, you would be in so much trouble…" Kaz's voice trailed off as she peeked around the corner into the corridor. What she saw there made her heart skip a beat.

"Shit, shit, shit." She yelled as she turned and hurried back down the stairs. "Lee, I suggest you start running." She grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her.

They barely reached the doorway when the enormous homemade bomb that had been left in the hallway of the second floor exploded with such force that it threw them both clear of the building. Kaz landed hard on her stomach, the breath completely knocked out of her. She felt a mild stinging sensation in her back as she tentatively raised her head and looked for Lee.

Lee managed to keep his footing as he was propelled from the doorway. He landed awkwardly and felt his left angle twist painfully underneath him. Ignoring the throbbing now coming from his sprained ankle, he limped toward where Kaz was laying face down, not moving. He felt a surge of relief when he saw her slowly raise her head.

She smiled grimly at him when he reached her side.

"Ouch, now that wasn't nice!!" She groaned as Lee helped her to sit up.

"Are you hurt?" He asked her, concern for her making his eyes glow even greener.

"I think I'm just winded, though something is hurting my back." She told him.

Lee glanced over her shoulder to see a large sliver of glass from the shattered door protruding from the middle of her back.

"Try not to move, honey." He warned her as he slid in behind her. Carefully, he took hold of the glass shard and slid it out quickly.

"What are you trying to do, kill me?" Kaz yelped as the glass slid free.

"Never." Lee grinned at her cheekily. "If I did, you'd come back to taunt me in my dreams for the rest of my life."

"Well you've got that right. Boy, that was a close one." Kaz looked ruefully at what remained of the building. She was thoughtful for a moment before looking Lee straight in the eyes.

"Lee, what do you say we don't keep this thing between us a secret any more?" She whispered.

"What, you mean you're not too ashamed to be seen in public with me?" Lee joked.

"Lee, I'm being serious here." Kaz turned her face away from him.

"Hey, I was only kidding." He gently took her chin in his fingers, turning her face back to look at him. "I would like nothing better than to not have to run around, grabbing little snatches of time when we can." He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.

Crackling in their earpieces brought them quickly back to reality as Watcher's voice came through.

"Lee, Kaz, you guys in one piece, over?" He whispered.

"We've been better, Watcher, but we'll live. How about you guys? Over." Lee answered him.

"The blast threw us both clear before we even made it halfway across the first floor, over." Watcher replied. "Have you heard from Mav and Angel? Over"

"No, not yet. Where are you guys, we'll meet up with you and then try to find them. Over." Kaz winced as she slowly rose to her feet, Lee supporting her. Watcher gave them their position and minutes later the four of them met back up. There still hadn't been a report in from Maverick or Angel.

They cautiously made their way to where the western entrance had been. As with most of the rest of the building, the western side had been reduced to a pile of rubble.

"What now guys?" Rainmaker asked quietly.

"Now we dig, Rainmaker, and we keep digging till we find them." Kaz instructed, her face set in a grim, determined line.

Angel and Maverick had been on the flight of stairs between the second and third floors of the building when the explosion had gone off. Instinctively, Maverick wrapped his arms tightly around Angel, shielding her as the stairs began to collapse from underneath them. He felt the rubble bouncing of his shoulders as the building seemed to disintegrate in slow motion around them. The stairway hit the ground with a thud. Maverick saw the ceiling of the third floor descending on them and pulled Maddie to the ground with him, shutting his eyes as he waited to be crushed by the falling debris. The rumble was terrifyingly loud, but almost as soon as the collapse had begun, it finished. Maverick opened his eyes to see that a large piece of ceiling had wedged just above where they had landed, protecting them from the rest of the falling rubble.

"Are we still alive?" Angel whispered shakily from underneath him.

"You bet we are gorgeous." He said, grinning at her. "What a rush!!"

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed it. By the way, had anyone ever told you that you are bloody heavy?" Angel grinned back at him.

"And here I was thinking you were enjoying being this close to me." He joked.

"Mav, as irresistible as you are, I could think of much better places to be." Angel coughed up some of the dust she had inhaled during the collapse.

"You're not injured are you?" Maverick was suddenly concerned.

"No. I'm fine, thanks to you. If you hadn't grabbed me when you did, I'd be a pancake right now.' Angel told him gratefully. "So how the hell are we going to get out of here?"

Maverick wriggled sideways to relieve some of his weight from Maddie, and surveyed the little pocket protecting them.

"I don't know." He told her. "If we try to move the rubble at the side, we might just bring the rest of the roof crashing down on us, and that doesn't sound like much fun."  
"Is your comms link still working?" Angel asked him. "Mine got ripped off in the fall."

"Only one way to find out." Maverick moved his arm around awkwardly to adjust the microphone on the comms link. "Lee, Kaz, Watcher, Rain, do you copy? Over."

Maverick's voice crackled to life in the earpieces of the four-team mates who were frantically clawing at the rubble above.

"Good to hear your voice, Mav." Lee answered in relief. "Are you ok, is Angel with you?"

"Yes and yes to both questions." Came the crackly answer. "We're sort of stuck though, so if you guys wouldn't mind, could you please get us the hell out of here."

Two hours later, Maverick and Angel were pulled free from the rubble of the building, covered in dust, battered and bruised, but otherwise ok.

It was a dirty, tired, sore and sorry little team of soldiers that limped into the makeshift UN campsite on the outskirts of Mogadishu that evening.

The following morning, they received orders to move out. They were going to Afghanistan.


	19. Chapter 19

Present Day…

Present Day…

US Marine Base Hospital

Kabul Afghanistan

Maddie sighed contentedly as she shifted slightly in Maverick's arms so she could see his face as he slept. He had snuck into her hospital room in the early hours of the morning, snuggling up in bed with her. She smiled dreamily, touching her lips as she remembered the shared tenderness of their fist real kiss.

He had said nothing as he slid under the covers and drew her to him, gently capturing her mouth with his. His kiss became more demanding as the passion mounted between them.

"Captain Mitchell, what exactly do you think you are doing?" The stern voice of one of the nurses abruptly broke into their private little universe.

"Um, mouth to mouth resuscitation." He smiled innocently at the nurse who had caught them.

"Well, Captain, if you want me to turn a blind eye to you being here, then you had better let Captain Harris get her rest." She scolded him. "You can stay as long as you behave yourself and I will be watching you."

"Yes ma'am, thank you ma'am." Maverick tried unsuccessfully to sound contrite. Angel's smothered giggling didn't help matters any.

She had fallen asleep wrapped securely in his arms, her head resting on his chest.

"What are you grinning at, gorgeous?" A husky voice brought her back to the present.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." She smiled at him.

"Honey, I got to wake up with you in my arms, it was worth it." He leaned down and kissed her gently.

"Geez, will you two get a room!!" Rainmaker joked as the rest of the unit made their way in to the hospital room.

"We've got a room, Rain, you just keep gate crashing." Maverick quipped back quickly, noting with interest that Lee's arm was wrapped loosely around Kaz's waist. He'd have to ask his friend what was going on later.

"Your chariot has arrived Angel, courtesy of the US Government." Kaz announced, grinning. "Looks like we're all going home."

Fifteen minutes later, they had gathered their kits and were waiting for Angel to be moved from her room to the waiting ambulance. Maverick convinced the marines that were transporting them to let him ride in the back of the ambulance with Maddie on the trip to the airport. In his words, he wasn't letting her out of his sight again for a second.

Lee, Kaz, Rainmaker and Watcher all piled into the hummer that was acting as an escort vehicle.

The trip through Kabul was relatively uneventful as they approached the air force run air- strip that was located on the other side of the city. Kaz and Lee had been sitting close together through the trip, talking quietly about the possibility of disappearing on a vacation when they got back to the states. Kaz was seriously considering joining Angel in resigning from the Unit. Being with Lee was far more important to her than her career.

They could see the Air Force transport plane waiting for them on the tarmac as they approached the security fence. The hummer pulled up at the gate, the driver showing identification. The guards began to wave them through when one of them started yelling.

"Incoming, incoming RPG, get out, get out of the ……" His voice was cut short by the terrible impact of two Rocket Propelled Grenades slamming into the side of the Hummer, tearing it to pieces.

Maverick watched helplessly through the windscreen of the ambulance as the Hummer carrying his team exploded before his eyes. A strangled cry escaped from him and he was glad that Angel couldn't see what had happened. Quickly, he jumped out of the back of the ambulance and ran towards the burning ruins. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement from behind the remains of a nearby building. He pulled his sidearm and ran towards the rubble, jumping over it in one neat movement.

Taken by surprise, the terrorists who had launched the RPG's didn't even have time to draw their weapons as he took them out with two neat shots in the center of their foreheads. He looked down at their bodies in disgust as he left them there and went to see what he could do to help his friends.

Kaz groaned as she opened her eyes, a wet, warm trickle running down her forehead.

What the hell just happened? She was hurting all over and couldn't move.

"Oh god, Lee." She thought to herself. "Where was he?"

She felt a gentle hand slip into hers and with a huge effort turned her head to find that Lee had crawled over to her. He brushed her hair away from her face gently as he collapsed back onto the tarmac next to her. She saw Rainmaker and Watcher sitting a short distance away. Both were groaning and covered in blood, but they were alive.

"Ashley." Lee whispered hoarsely.

"Lee." She moaned, the pain almost unbearable.

"I love you." He told her, his green eyes glowing with emotion.

"I love you too, Lee." She answered as the vision of him started to swim before her eyes.

He whispered something else to her, but she was finding it hard to concentrate as she focused on his eyes and the world turned black.


	20. Chapter 20

Three years later…

Three years later….

Arlington National Cemetery

Virginia USA

Maverick stared at the white headstone in the early dawn light as if in a trance. The chill in the moist morning air seemed to seep right through to his bones.

He wasn't sure just how long he had been there, he just knew that he was never going to get used the immense feeling of loss that constantly threatened to engulf him every time he came here. Maybe he should just stop coming, it had been three years, after all. He knew in his heart that that would never happen though. The trip to Virginia had become an annual pilgrimage and he knew he would continue to come while there was still breath in his body.

Lost in his reverie, he didn't hear the soft fall of approaching footsteps and jumped when he felt a warm hand lay on his shoulder.

"Thought I might find you here." A quiet voice whispered.

Maverick looked up into the concerned eyes of his heavily pregnant wife.

"Maddie, what are you doing up?" He scolded her gently as he rose and wrapped his arms around her. "You know the doctor said you should be getting as much rest as possible."

"I know what day it is Mav." She gently touched his cheek. "I thought you might need me." He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the closeness. God, how he loved this woman. She always knew instinctively when he needed her the most and had never failed to be there.

"I'm ok honey, it's just that I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this." Maverick gave his wife a gentle smile.

"There was nothing you could have done Mav." She comforted him.

Maddie searched her husband's eyes and saw the pain and frustration reflected in them. She knew that he would be reliving that terrible day again in his mind, and that all she could do was offer him comfort and support while he worked through it.

She turned to the headstone and bent to lay the small posy of flowers that she had brought with her. Gently, she ran her fingers over the inscription on the glistening white marble.

Captain Lee Sanders, killed in action in Afghanistan. 31 Years old. Maddie felt tears welling up in her eyes as fond memories of Mav's green eyed partner and friend came flooding into her mind. His quick and ready smile, his natural charm, his ability to put a person at ease. She smiled to herself as a vision of him teasing Kaz mercilessly came into her mind. She wondered how her friend was coping today. As if reading her mind, Maverick took her hand and pulled her back against him, wrapping his arms around her once more to protect her from the early morning cold.

'Do you think she'll come?" He asked softly.

"I don't know Mav, I'm not even sure if she's in the country." Maddie answered him. "Last I heard from her, she was free lancing in Uganda, training up the Freedom Fighters."

"God help President Mugabi then, if the rebels have been trained by Kaz he doesn't stand a chance." He smiled as he took one last look at the headstone and bade a silent farewell to his partner and best friend.

"Come on gorgeous, I'll buy you some breakfast." He wrapped his arm possessively around his wife's shoulders as he led her away from the silent cemetery.

A solitary figure in a black trench coat and beret watched as the couple walked away. She felt an overwhelming urge to call out to them, but something held her back. No, she wasn't ready yet.

When she was sure that she was alone she approached the same headstone that the couple had just left. She sank to her knees in front of it, tears flowing freely. A strand of long red hair escaped from under the beret as she bent her head and laid a single red rose next to the posy of flowers that already rested there.

She sighed heavily as she hesitantly touched the cold white marble of the headstone that marked the final resting place of the only man she would ever love.

"I miss you Lee." Her voice was cracked with emotion.

After what seemed like an eternity, she rose to her feet and smiled gently. She would never forget him, he would always be with her, just like he promised right before the light had gone out in those beautiful green eyes.

With a renewed purpose in her step, Ashley turned and headed in the direction her friends had taken. She had been hiding for long enough. It was time to start living again.

The End


End file.
